Joint Staff Officer Within the Structure of

Joint Staff Officer Within the structure of the military, there are a group of trained officers and personnel that have the responsibility for the administrative, operational and logistical needs of the unit. These officers are a direct liaison to the commander and, for reasons of logistics and efficiency, focus on many of the day-to-day issues that the organization requires. Staff Officers are essential to military operation by supporting the policies and procedures of the military organization as well as acting as a knowledge base for individual commanders.

Ideally, an experienced Staff Officer performs seven major functions: 1) Becoming an expert on the commander's policies and aiding in their implementation; 2) Acting as a knowledge base in keeping the commander informed; 3) Assisting or developing organizational plans; 4) Acting in a strategic manner by drafting tentative plans that anticipate future requirements; 5) Actively translating plans into orders and moving down the chain of command to, 6) Ensure compliance with those orders; 7) Ensuring fairness and unity within the commander's prevue. One cannot overemphasize the importance or critical role of Staff Officers.

During General William Westmoreland's 1968-1972 duty as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, for instance, there was a major revision of the career management system focused on cultivating and awarding professionalism in the officer corps. This view has been echoed a number of times in recent military history.

For example, during the early Cold War period, and especially the time of the Korean Conflict many commanders were still in the World War II mindset and depended on their staff officers to adjust "their wartime concepts to the changing international situation and the likely effects of new weapon technologies." The major impetus for a staff officer is leadership. A staff officer is expected to be at a level in which core competencies are second nature and leadership and development of staff are of primary concern.

One staff officer is not expected to have expertise in all areas, but a basic grounding is necessary, as well as expertise in several cogent areas.

This is exemplified in the Army Commander and Staff Guide (2011) by emphasizing eight expected characteristics of the position: 1) Competency in all aspects of their area of expertise; 2) Able to initiative projects and anticipate requirements; 3) Use of regular critical thinking and analysis; 4) Adaptive to changing conditions and environments; 5) Flexible during change or high-stress situations; 6) Disciplined and self-confident; 6) Team players that can set ego aside and robustly cooperate with other staff members, subordinates and superiors; 7) Expert at communicating clearly orally, in writing, and visually; 8) Able to synergize vast and varying amounts of information and present that information as needed in an appropriate manner.

In many ways, the professional Joint Staff Officer must manifest many of the characteristics of an entrepreneur, but in a military setting. Their primary job is assisting the commander in meeting appropriate goals; but in doing so, they must act in a manner that assists and improves the functioning of their organization. To do so requires drive, tenacity, professionalism, broad knowledge, consistency, the ability to communicate, and behavioral traits that are proactive, even during moments of stress or change.

The officer must also understand how to effectively work with military partners: civilians, civil servants, government contractors, and politicians. To do this requires even more professionalism and the ability to go beyond the textbook and apply behavioral and psychological tools to elicit the best possible response and performance from all involved. Thus, in the modern military organization, the staff officer position is crucial to the effective operation of any military organization. The positions are critical for national security, logistics, and to ensure the continuity of command.

The modern staff officer has vision, expertise, and above all, commitment. JFSC PUB 1, Appendix C, Staff Work: Methods and Applications, C-1. Ibid. William Donnelly, (2013). Professionalism and the Officer Personnel Management System. Military Review., May-June 2013, p. 16. Retrieved from: http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20130630_art006.pdf Jeffrey Barlow., From Hot War to Cold. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press),.